Hi Friend!
Coach Eddie here with Premier Boxing for Fitness. This week's Foodie Tip is going to be spicy! Look I get asked a lot about nutrition and for some reason when talking to clients I find out that they feel healthy eating means boring tasting foods. This is just not the case.
Now I can’t overstate the importance of good nutrition when you’re trying to reach your fitness goals. Whether you’re trying to burn fat, build lean muscle, or maintain your current body composition, your diet is seriously so important! But as you’ve probably experienced, eating right is not always the most exciting thing.
Healthy foods can be bland and leave you feeling unsatisfied.
Eating this way meal after meal is great for reaching your goals, but it can wear you down mentally. I mean really, a a person can only eat so much plain chicken and veggies, am I right?
But before you die of boredom from your next meal, consider my top tip for spicing up your food!
Spice Things UpAs a fitness trainer and someone who loves to be in shape, I’ve had to be pretty strict with what I eat for as long as I remember. So believe me when I say that I totally feel your pain!
I know what it’s like to have to basically force down a Tupperware bowl full of bland rice and broccoli. It didn’t take very long before I started to explore options for adding some flavor to my food.
I knew that high-sugar, high-fat sauces wouldn’t fit with my nutritional goals, and deep frying my food was definitely not going to work. After some research, I discovered something that turned out to be a game changer. The answer to the flavor problem is seasonings!
I realized that there was a whole world of spices and seasonings out there that could transform my sad dishes and have them bursting with flavor! For beginners, using spices in cooking can seem daunting. However, they are no more difficult to use as seasonings than salt and pepper. For example, chili flakes can be added to a stir-fry instead of salt to liven up the taste, or cumin added to a lentil soup to enhance the flavor of the legumes.
A good way to experiment with spices is to add them to dishes you are already familiar with. Even adding one extra flavour can really make a difference to the dish. Try these simple techniques: - Sprinkle a teaspoon or two of dried rosemary or parsley over your lamb chops before putting them under the grill.
- Fold fresh or dried dill or basil into an omelette.
- Add a teaspoon of mustard powder or curry powder to mashed potatoes.
- Sprinkle garam masala or chilli flakes on steamed vegetables.
- Add paprika when sauteing garlic and onion for a pasta sauce.
- Away from the stove, fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley or coriander can really bring a salad to life.
There are many ways to include herbs and spices in your diet, and they're not all savoury. Spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger and cloves are used to give flavour to cakes and puddings.
Adding fresh ginger to a cup of tea will give it a refreshing zing. At breakfast time, put the sugar away and add a touch of cinnamon to your cereal or even coffee for sweetness. The sweeter spices can be great with ice cream, too.
Herbs and spices also go well with fruit. Chopped mint or basil can make a simple bowl of strawberries something really special. Or the adventurous can try a touch of salt and chilli flakes with their mangoes for an unusual taste sensation.
Don't worry if things don't go right the first time you try out a new herb or spice. As with any new technique or ingredient, trial and error is one of the best ways to learn. And with a bit of practice, cooking with herbs and spices will quickly become second nature.
Committed to Your Health and Success,
Coach Eddie Akan Studio Manager Premier Boxing for Fitness 510 Wisconsin St. South Houston, TX 77587 Studio Number: 713-794-6454 www.premierboxingforfitness.com coacheddie@premierboxingforfitness.com | 
